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Grateful Japanese makes donation to Taitung hospital

By Central News Agency

2013/04/15 22:52

Taitung, April 15 (CNA) A Japanese man has made a personal donation to the Taitung Christian Hospital as a way of giving back after Taiwan made a huge contribution to the relief efforts in the wake of Japan's devastating earthquake in 2011, a spokesman said Monday. Katsuyuki Ousaka handed over a cash of NT$20,000 (US$668) to the hospital in Taitung County, southeastern Taiwan, a few days ago, asking the hospital to use it to help local children living in poverty, the spokesman for the hospital said. The 54-year-old Japanese from Hokkaido told the hospital that he was moved to tears by the good will of the people of Taiwan and made a pledge to himself to return the favor even though he is not wealthy. Ousaka has traveled to Taiwan many times over the past years, but it was his first visit to Taitung, according to the hospital. He is said to have come to the county alone with the help of some friends in Taipei. It is not known why he chose to make the donation in this part of Taiwan. There was an outpouring of sympathy among the public in Taiwan when a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunamis hit northeastern Japan. A total of some NT$7.3 billion (US$252 million), mostly private donations, was given in aid to Japan, making Taiwan the world's biggest donor country in the aftermath of the disaster. (By Tyson Lu and Elizabeth Hsu)